– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Part one.

Hello. Children's engineering workshops.

Oh, hello. I wanted some information

about the workshops in the school

holidays. Sure. I have two daughters who

are interested. The younger one's Lydia.

She's four. Do you take children as

young as that? Yes. Our tiny engineers

workshop is for four to 5y olds. What

sorts of activities do they do? All

sorts. For example, they work together

to design a special cover that goes

around an egg so that when it's inside,

they can drop it from a height and it

doesn't break. Well, sometimes it does

break, but that's part of the fun,

right? And Lydia loves building things.

Is there any opportunity for her to do

that? Well, they have a competition to

see who can make the highest tower.

You'd be amazed how high they can go,

right? But they're learning all the

time, as well as having fun. For

example, one thing they do is to design

and build a car that's attached to a

balloon, and the force of the air in

that actually powers the car and makes

it move along. They go really fast, too.

Okay. Well, all this sounds perfect.

Now, Carly, that's my older daughter,

has just had her seventh birthday. So,

presumably, she'd be in a different

group. Yes, she'd be in the junior

engineers. That's for children from 6 to

8. And do they do the same sorts of

activities? Some are the same, but a bit

more advanced. So they work out how to

build model vehicles, things like cars

and trucks, but also how to construct

animals using the same sorts of material

and technique. And then they learn how

they can program them and make them

move. So they learn a bit of coding.

They do. They pick it up really quickly.

We're there to help if they need it, but

they learn from one another, too. Right.

And do they have competitions too? Yes.

With the junior engineers, it's to use

recycled materials like card and wood to

build a bridge. And the youngest one

gets a prize. That sounds fun. I

wouldn't mind doing that myself. Then

they have something a bit different,

which is to think up an idea for a

5-minute movie and then film it using

special animation software. You'd be

amazed what they come up with. And of

course, that's something they can put on

their phone and take home to show all

their friends. Exactly. And then they

also build a robot in the shape of a

human. And they decorate it and program

it so that it can move its arms and

legs. Perfect. So, is it the same price

as the tiny engineers? It's just a bit

more. £50 for the five weeks. And are

the classes on a Monday, too? They used

to be, but we found it didn't give our

staff enough time to clear up after the

first workshop, so we moved them to

Wednesdays. The classes are held in the

morning from 10 to 11:00. Okay, that's

better for me, actually. And what about

the location? Where exactly are the

workshops held? They're in building 10A.

There's a big sign on the door. You

can't miss it. And that's in Fredston

Industrial Estate. Sorry, Fraston.

That's F R A D S T O N E. And that's in

Grassford, isn't it? Yes. Up or past the

station. And will I have any parking

problems there? No, there's always

plenty available. So would you like to

enroll Lydia and Carly now? Okay. So can

I have your full name and

part two?

Good morning everyone and welcome to

Stevenson's one of the country's major

manufacturers of metal goods. Thank you

for choosing us for your two weeks of

work experience. My name is Julia

Simmons and since the beginning of this

year I've been the managing director.

Stevenson's is quite an old company like

me. The founder Ronald Stevenson went

into the steel industry when he left

school. That was in 1923.

He set up this company when he finished

his apprenticeship in 1926.

Although he actually started making

plans 2 years earlier in 1924, he was a

very determined young man.

Stevenson's long-term plan was to

manufacture components for the machine

tools industry although in fact that

never came about and for the automotive

industry that is cars and lorries.

However, there was a delay of 5 years

before that happened because shortly

before the company went into production,

Stevenson was given the opportunity to

make goods for hospitals and other

players in the healthcare industry. So,

that's what we did for the first 5

years.

Over the years, we've expanded the

premises considerably. We were lucky

that the site is big enough, so moving

to a new location has never been

necessary. However, the layout is far

from ideal for modern machinery and

production methods. So, we intend to

carry out major refurbishment of this

site over the next 5 years.

I'd better give you some idea of what

you'll be doing during your two weeks

with us so you know what to expect. Most

mornings you'll have a presentation from

one of the managers to learn about their

department. Starting this morning with

research and development and you'll all

spend some time in each department

observing what's going on and talking to

people as long as you don't stop them

from doing their work altogether.

In the past, a teacher from your school

has come in at the end of each week to

find out how the group were getting on,

but your school isn't able to arrange

that this year.

Okay. Now, I'll briefly help you to

orientate yourselves around the site. As

you can see, we're in the reception

area, which we try to make attractive

and welcoming to visitors. There's a

corridor running left from here. And if

you go along that, the door facing you

at the end is the entrance to the coffee

room. This looks out onto the main road

on one side and some trees on the other.

And that'll be where you meet each

morning.

The factory is the very big room on the

far side of the site. Next to it is the

warehouse, which can be accessed by

lries going up the road to the turning

area at the end. You can get to the

warehouse by crossing to the far side of

the courtyard and then the door is on

your right.

Somewhere you'll be keen to find is the

staff canteen. This is right next to

reception. I can confidently say that

the food's very good, but the view

isn't. The windows on one side look onto

a corridor and courtyard, which aren't

very attractive at all and on the other

onto the access road, which isn't much

better.

You'll be using the meeting room quite

often, and you'll find it by walking

along the corridor to the left of the

courtyard and continuing along it to the

end. The meeting room is the last one on

the right. And I'm afraid there's no

natural daylight in the room.

Then you'll need to know where some of

the offices are. The human resources

department is at the front of this

building. So you head to the left along

the corridor from reception and it's the

second room you come to. It looks out

onto the main road.

And finally, the boardroom where you'll

be meeting sometimes that has quite a

pleasant view as it looks out onto the

trees. Go along the corridor past the

courtyard right to the end. The

boardroom is on the left next to the

factory.

Okay, now are there any questions before

we move?

Part three.

How are you getting on with your art

project, Tom? Okay. Like they gave us

the theme of birds to base our project

on and I'm not really all that

interested in wildlife, but I'm starting

to get into it. I've pretty well

finished the introductory stage. So have

I. When they gave us all those handouts

with details of books and websites to

look at, I was really put off. But the

more I read, the more interested I got.

Me, too. I found I could research so

many different aspects of birds in art.

The color, movement, texture. So, I was

looking forward to the bird park visit.

What a let down. It pulled with rain and

we hardly saw a single bird. Much less

use than the trip to the natural history

museum. Yeah, I liked all the stuff

about evolution there. The workshop

sessions with Dr. Fletcher were good,

too. Especially the brainstorming

sessions. Ah, I missed those because I

was ill. I wish we could have seen the

projects last year students did. I

suppose they want us to do our own

thing, not copy. Have you drafted your

proposal yet? Yes, but I haven't handed

it in. I need to amend some parts. I've

realized the notes from my research are

almost all just descriptions. I haven't

actually evaluated anything, so I'll

have to fix that. Oh, I didn't know we

had to do that. I'll have to look at

that, too.

Did you do a timeline for the project?

Yes, and a mind map. Yeah, so did I. I

quite enjoyed that, but it was hard

having to explain the basis for my

decisions in my action plan. What? You

know, give a rationale. I didn't realize

we had to do that. Okay, I can add it

now.

and I've done the video diary

presentation and worked out what I want

my outcome to be in the project. Someone

told me it's best not to be too precise

about your actual outcome at this stage

so you have more scope to explore your

ideas later on. So, I'm going to go back

to my proposal to make it a bit more

vague. Really? Okay, I'll change that

too then. One part of the project I'm

unsure about is where we choose some

paintings of birds and say what they

mean to us. Like I chose a painting of a

falcon by Lancia. I like it because the

bird's standing there with his head

turned to one side, but he seems to be

staring straight at you. But I can't

just say it's a bit scary, can I?

You could talk about the possible danger

suggested by the bird's look. Oh, okay.

There's a picture of a fish hawk by

audible I like. It's swooping over the

water with a fish in its talons and with

great black wings which take up most of

the picture. So, you could discuss it in

relation to predators and food chains.

Well, actually, I think I'll concentrate

on the impression of rapid motion it

gives. Right. Do you know that picture

of a king fisher by Van Go? It's

perching on a reed growing near a

stream. Yes. It's got these beautiful

blue and red and black shades. Mhm. I've

actually chosen it because I saw a real

kingisher once when I was little. I was

out walking with my grandfather and I've

never forgotten it. Oh, so we can use a

personal link. Sure. Okay. There's a

portrait called William Wells. I can't

remember the artist, but it's a

middle-aged man who's just shot a bird,

and his expression and the way he's

holding the bird in his hand suggests

he's not sure about what he's done. To

me, it's about how ambiguous people are

in the way they exploit the natural

world. Interesting. There's Goan's

picture via a Matty. He did it in

Tahiti. It's a woman with a white bird

behind her that is eating a lizard. And

what I'm interested in is what idea this

bird refers to. Apparently, it's a

reference to the neverending cycle of

existence. Wow. I chose a portrait of a

little boy, Javani de Medici. He's

holding a tiny bird in one fist. I like

the way he's holding it carefully so he

doesn't hurt it. Oh, right.

Part four.

Ancient philosophy is not just about

talking or lecturing or even reading

long dense books. In fact, it is

something people have used throughout

history to solve their problems and to

achieve their greatest triumphs.

Specifically, I am referring to

stoicism, which in my opinion is the

most practical of all philosophies and

therefore the most appealing.

Stoicism was founded in ancient Greece

by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd

century BC, but was practiced by the

likes of Epictitus, Kato, Senica, and

Marcus Aurelius.

Amazingly, we still have access to these

ideas. Despite the fact that the most

famous Stoics never wrote anything down

for publication, Kato definitely didn't.

Marcus Aurelius never intended his

meditations to be anything but personal.

Senica's letters were well, letters, and

Epictitus' thoughts come to us by way of

a notetaking students.

Stoic principles were based on the idea

that its followers could have an

unshakable happiness in this life and

the key to achieving this was virtue.

The road to virtue in turn lay in

understanding that destructive emotions

like anger and jealousy are under our

conscious control. They don't have to

control us because we can learn to

control them. In the words of Epictitus,

external events I cannot control, but

the choices I make with regard to them I

do control.

The modern-day philosopher and writer

Nasim Nicholas Taleb defines a stoic as

someone who has a different perspective

on experiences which most of us would

see as wholly negative.

A stoic transforms fear into caution,

pain into transformation,

mistakes into initiation,

and desire into undertaking.

Using this definition as a model, we can

see that throughout the centuries,

stoicism has been practiced in more

recent history by kings, presidents,

artists, writers, and entrepreneurs.

The founding fathers of the United

States were inspired by the philosophy.

George Washington was introduced to

stoicism by his neighbors at age 17 and

later put on a play based on the life of

Kato to inspire his men. Thomas

Jefferson kept a copy of Senica beside

his bed.

Writers and artists have also been

inspired by the Stoics. Eugene Deloqua,

the renowned French romantic artist

known best for his painting Liberty

Leading the People, was an ardent stoic,

referring to it as his consoling

religion.

The economist Adam Smith's theories on

capitalism were significantly influenced

by the stoicism that he studied as a

school boy under a teacher who had

translated Marcus Aurelius's works.

Today's political leaders are no

different with many finding their

inspiration from the ancient texts.

Former US President Bill Clinton rereads

Marcus Aurelius every single year and

many have compared former President

Obama's calm leadership style to that of

Kato.

When Xiao Bao, the former prime minister

of China, claims that meditations is one

of two books he travels with and that he

has read it more than 100 times over the

course of his life. Stoicism had a

profound influence on Albert Ellis, who

invented cognitive behavior therapy,

which is used to help people manage

their problems by changing the way that

they think and behave. It's most

commonly used to treat depression.

The idea is that we can take control of

our lives by challenging the irrational

beliefs that create our faulty thinking

symptoms and behaviors by using logic

instead.

Stoicism has also become popular in the

world of business. Stoic principles can

build the resilience and state of mind

required to overcome setbacks because

stoics teach turning obstacles into

opportunity.

A lesson every business entrepreneur

needs to learn.

I would argue that studying stoicism is

as relevant today as it was 2,000 years

ago, thanks to its brilliant insights

into how to lead a good life. At the

very root of the thinking, there is a

very simple way of living. Control what

you can and accept what you can't. This

is not as easy as it sounds and will

require considerable practice. It can

take a lifetime to master. The Stoics

also believed the most important

foundation for a good and happy life is

not money, fame, power or pleasure, but

having a disciplined and principled

character.

Something which seems to resonate with

many people today.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
engineer /ˌɛndʒɪˈnɪər/ B1	noun - a person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works
workshop /ˈwɜrkʃɒp/ B1	noun - a building or room where things are made or repaired
design /dɪˈzaɪn/ B1	verb - to plan or create something in detail noun - a plan or drawing
build /bɪld/ B1	verb - to construct something
presentation /ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən/ B1	noun - the act of showing something to an audience
project /ˈprɒdʒɛkt/ B1	noun - a planned piece of work verb - to stick out or plan ahead
bird /bɜrd/ A1	noun - a warm-blooded egg-laying animal with wings
art /ɑrt/ A1	noun - the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination
philosophy /fɪˈlɒsəfi/ B2	noun - the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, and ethics
stoicism /ˈstoʊɪsɪzəm/ C2	noun - a philosophy that emphasizes enduring pain or hardship without complaint
virtue /ˈvɜrtʃu/ B2	noun - a moral excellence or good quality
happiness /ˈhæpinəs/ B1	noun - the state of being happy
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	verb - to have power over something noun - the power to influence or direct
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition of living
founder /ˈfaʊndər/ B2	noun - a person who establishes an organization
company /ˈkʌmpəni/ B1	noun - a business organization
manufacture /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃər/ B2	noun - the production of goods verb - to produce goods on a large scale
experience /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/ B1	noun - knowledge or skill from doing or seeing things verb - to have personal knowledge of something
manager /ˈmænɪdʒər/ B1	noun - a person who controls or directs a business or organization
department /dɪˈpɑrtmənt/ B1	noun - a specialized division of a large organization